by Fiona Starr
I want to cry the need is so big. I am staring at his face and he’s beyond hot, but this feels like more than just heat and lust. This is fire. This is pure.
“Please.” My words are air; I can barely speak. I’m so consumed with getting him inside me I don’t want to waste any energy on words. I need him to be as close as we can physically be, right now. “Please.”
He slides his hands down legs until he gets to my boots, which he slips off and lets fall to the floor of the stall. He slips his hands inside my pants and runs his palms along the contours of my legs as he removes my leggings. Then he’s back for my panties, which disappear in the hay.
He kisses my thigh and opens my legs, then he teases my clit with the tip of his tongue. It’s too much. I can’t take it. I grab him by the hair and pull him up to me, sucking his neck and tasting the salt of him as I reach for his cock and guide him inside.
There is a moment before he enters me where he seems to hesitate. It lasts just long enough for me to notice, then he’s looking at me again with those eyes and pleading with me for permission.
Oh, this is happening, boy. This is happening.
I wrap my hands around him and grab his ass with both hands, pulling him gently. Slowly. I want to feel every inch of him as he enters me. I want to know him.
DAMON
She guides me into her and it’s like I am no longer myself. I am us; I am there and here, and we never end. She is slick with need and her body squeezes tight as I enter. I close my eyes and I’m falling. We find our rhythm. Her mouth is sucking my chest, my neck, my lips.
I have to bend to take her breast into my mouth and she arches her back in invitation. She is so beautiful, so alive, a part of me can’t believe this is real. I must be dreaming. This doesn’t happen to guys like me.
But then I feel her fingernails on my chest and her heartbeat in my mouth, and her whimpers in my ears as she’s getting close. I shut my eyes and concentrate on her sounds, her movements, and her breath. I work her body with mine, sensing her need, and moving into it until I can tell she’s on the edge. Once she’s ready, I let myself go and we explode into each other, crying out together as we land in each other’s arms.
AMELIA
He brought a blanket to cover me and keep me warm. I recognize it as one of the fleeces they keep on hand for the sleigh ride tours. I run my fingers over the tartan pattern of the blanket as the edges of reality creep into the barn.
He’s pulled on his pants and has gathered my clothes, which are now folded in a neat pile on the hay at my feet. Who is this incredible man?
He pulls on his white tee shirt and touches my leg. “I—uh, I’ll give you some privacy.” He smiles and grabs his red plaid over-shirt and exits the barn stall.
I replay the scene as I get dressed, probing my feelings about what just happened. I am not ashamed. Nothing even close to it. I feel like I’ve found a piece to my puzzle. A piece I never knew was missing. The idea scares me.
I step out of the stall and he meets me at the door. We stand under the heater together. Then he takes my hand and pulls me close, like we’re at a dance. His touch sends a jolt through me.
“I…” I don’t know what I want to say, but I want to say something. I need to punctuate this event with words that will convince me it was real.
“Yeah.” He smiles as he pushes a lock of hair off my forehead.
“What just happened?” I ask. Does he feel it too? When I let go of his hand does he feel alone and cold, bereft as I do? I look over my shoulder at the door and realize how crazy this is. “I should go.”
He lifts my chin and kisses me gently. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but… I don’t want you to leave. Is that crazy?” He wraps his hands over mine and our fingers find each other and interlace together. “There, that’s better.”
My eyes well up with relief. “You feel it too?”
He nods. “I do.”
“It sounds stupid to say it, but I’ve never felt anything like this before. This was…” I search for a word to describe the magnetic pull I feel toward him.
“Electric,” he says as his phone chimes in his pocket. He pulls it out and taps the screen and the chime stops. “Just an alarm. I promised I’d meet my parents in a little while.”
The rest of the world rushes in and I realize I’ve totally abandoned Jules. “My phone. Oh crap. What time is it?”
“Almost three,” he says.
“What? Shit!” I tap my pockets looking for the phone I know I am not carrying and step toward the door. I need to apologize to Jules. I need to take a shower. It won’t be good to be late for my meeting at four with the Vaughns. “I have to… I—I’m sorry. I have to go.” I stumble backward, not wanting to leave but really needing to get ready for my meeting. “I’ll stop by later. I have a thing… I really need to go.”
It takes everything in me to leave him.
DAMON
I watch her walk away as she stammers out excuses and it’s like a light has gone out in the world. Buster snorts and a gust of cold air blows through the barn. I don’t even know her name. Shit. Well, she works here so it wouldn’t be that difficult to find her again.
My alarm goes off again. This incredible time with my snow angel has cost me a couple of hours of work here and I have a ton of shit to do to get the afternoon sleigh tour ready. I got one of my buddies to run the tour itself, but I promised to have it ready to go when he got here.
I hustle through the last of the chores and make sure Buster and Sissy have hay and feed before they have to get harnessed again. I promised I’d come back after the tour to take the horses down and put the sleigh away.
When everything’s done and ready for the evening tour, I close up the barn and grab my snowboard. The walk to the far side of the summit and the top of the back country slopes only takes a couple of minutes. I stop at the top of the run that leads to my parents’ house. I will be a few minutes late.
I strap the board onto my boots and pull on my hat and goggles. I could use a run down the hill to clear my head and get my thoughts back on my parents.
AMELIA
The meeting with Mr. and Mrs. Vaughn is casual. As old friends, my mom and dad are with me and the five of us sit around the long wooden table in their great room, each of us has a copy of my proposal for Wintersong Bed and Breakfast in front of us.
Mrs. Vaughn brings out another pot of coffee and the discussion is going well. They seem to like the idea of keeping the ranch working and updating the property to bring new life into it. But something is holding them back and I can’t tell what it could be.
The door opens and heavy boots tap snow onto the welcome mat. Mrs. Vaughn smiles and sits next to her husband across from me. “Oh good, my son’s here. We wouldn’t want to make any decisions without him.”
My mom smiles, “Will’s back from Afghanistan? I didn’t think you were expecting him for Christmas.”
“No. It’s Damon. He’s taking time off from school to help us with everything here.” Her smile is genuine as she thinks about her son.
“Little Damon?” I say. “I haven’t seen him in years!”
Mr. Vaughn laughs. “He hasn’t been ‘little’ for quite some time.”
My dad gets to his feet and meets the Vaughn’s son at the door. His back is to us as he hangs his hat and coat on the hooks by the door. “You remember honey, Damon’s helping us out working with the horses this season.”
Mom waves that away. “I don’t even try to keep track of the staff changes at the resort,” she says to the Vaughns. “That’s his department.”
Dad shakes Damon’s hand and claps him on the shoulder. “Good to see you.”
“Yes, sir. You too.”
When he looks up, time freezes.
It’s him. Stable Guy.
Heat rises in my chest and I feel my face flame red. This can’t be happening. Of all the people on the mountain for me to have… oh my god. Images of his naked body flip though my min
d and I try to make sense of this.
“You? What are you doing here?” I say.
His blue eyes are wide and his mouth gapes. “Me? I… I—um…”
Mrs. Vaughn clears her throat. “Damon’s thinking about staying on here, keeping the ranch running. That’s what I wanted to discuss with you today.” She turns to her son, scolding. “You’re late.”
“I know. I—I’m sorry. The day… um… I’m here.” He never looks away from me. The heat is unbearable.
I close my eyes to stop the replay of the visions of the hottest sex I’ve ever had. No, it wasn’t just sex. It was a connection. The deepest I have ever felt with anyone. Crap… what are the odds of him being a Vaughn? Wait… what did Mrs. Vaughn mean when she said he was staying on?
Is this some kind of trick? Was he here to wreck my plans about Wintersong?
I’m a fool. Shame pours through me. I fell for it. I should have known better. But… the Vaughns never said anything about not selling. This makes no sense. What the hell is going on here?
Mrs. Vaughn waves in my direction. “Damon, you remember Amelia. The Blazes’ youngest.”
“Amelia,” he says my name like it’s a secret. “It’s been a long time.” He looks stunned, wide-eyed.
Is he joking? I don’t know what to say. Mom can tell something’s not right, and I am sure I am acting like a lunatic.
“I need… I need…” My breath catches and my chest tightens. I walk around the table to the door and grab my coat as I open the door. “I need a minute.”
I hurry outside and race across the field. This isn’t happening. I am not going to be played for a fool. Damn Amelia, how could you not see this coming? Of course the Vaughn kids would be resistant to selling the family ranch. This can’t be a total surprise.
But they had discussed this months ago. Mr. and Mrs. Vaughn assured me that their kids were happy to see the ranch become part of the Blaze family. They trusted us to do right by it and preserve the history here.
I shake my head and wipe angry tears from my cheeks. I don’t understand. I need to get out of here.
I trudge to the gondola, and get on board, watching my dream fall away as the car lifts off.
From inside the gondola, I see him running toward me; he’s waving and frantic. I can’t. I don’t know how to even look at him. Was it an act? Was it meant to mess with me? I don’t know what to think. I feel ashamed and used and lost.
I shift to the seat opposite so my back is to Damon as he races toward the gondola.
DAMON
Oh, my god. What just happened? I bolt out of my parents' house so fast I forget to even put on my coat. I don’t explain; I just leave. What could I possibly say to our parents that would make this make sense?
She’s yards ahead of me by the time I spot her. She’s heading to the gondola.
Amelia. Amelia Blaze is my snow angel. I can hardly believe it. The last time I saw her she was heading off to boarding school with braces and books and a girl’s body. But now…
Who am I kidding? When she left for her freshman year, I was still in middle school. Scrawny and small, my voice hadn’t yet broken. It isn’t a surprise that we didn’t recognize each other today.
Amelia. My god. Amelia.
I race after her, running hard in the chill, hoping to catch her before she gets on the gondola.
She’s too far ahead. She climbs aboard and I call to her, but she doesn’t seem to hear me.
What must she be thinking?
I don’t have my coat with my staff pass on it but the gondola guy recognizes me and lets me on. Amelia’s in the car ahead of me but I can’t see her face; she sits with her back to me.
The sun has completely set in the fifteen minutes it takes to get to the summit. As soon as the doors open I race out of the gondola and track after Amelia. She’s heading for the lodge.
“Amelia!” I call. If she hears me she doesn’t respond. I run faster and don’t stop until I catch her. I grab her by the arm and force her to stop walking away from me. “Stop. Please.”
She pulls away and clenches her hands into fists. “Why didn’t you tell me you were Damon Vaughn?”
I don’t know what to say to that. It didn’t come up. I… “Why didn’t you tell me you were Amelia Blaze?” I shrugged, like, wasn’t she there this afternoon? There wasn’t a lot of talking going on.
She turns on her heels and hurries away but I grab her again and stand in front of her, blocking her path. “Amelia. What’s wrong? Why are you so angry?”
She looks at me and her eyes are full of anger and pain. “You didn’t have to do that… What we did… If you wanted me to leave the ranch alone you could have talked to me about it months ago.”
Her words take a moment to sink in. I am stunned. I don’t know what to say. “Amelia. That’s not what… Today was… amazing. It wasn’t planned. I had no idea.”
“Your mom said you were keeping the ranch. I was there. I am not stupid.”
“That’s not what she said. She said I wanted to stay on.”
“What’s the difference?” She turns again and storms off toward the barn.
“Amelia, wait!”
AMELIA
I refuse to be played like this. Damn it. Who was I kidding? I’ve already been played. He had his way with me and he won. And here I am left with nothing but shameful memories and the knowledge that I let this happen. I did this. I am so fucking stupid. Stupid and ashamed.
Oh, god. What am I going to tell my parents?
“Amelia, wait!” Damon’s voice echoes against the barn.
I have to face this. I have to face him. I turn and dig my boots into the snow. “What else do you want from me?” I curse myself for my tears. I don’t want him to see how crushed I am.
“What are you talking about? You’ve got this all wrong.”
“Really? You think I’m a fool? I heard what your mom said. You’re staying. They aren’t selling.”
He looked angry. “That isn’t what she said. I came here because I heard all about Wintersong and the plans you have for it. She said you were planning to keep it a working ranch. I came back to town to help them close the season and to talk to the new owner—you—about running the ranch side of the business while you run the B&B.” I lifted her chin, forcing her to look at me. “We want you to have the ranch. All of us do, the whole family. I’m just hoping you’ll take me along with it.”
I let his words sink in as I watch his eyes. Could he be telling the truth? It’s hard to concentrate with his hand on my chin. The heat of contact sends a thrill up my body. I pull away.
“Damon…” I laugh and shake my head. “Jesus Christ. I can’t believe you are Little Damon.”
“I am equally surprised that you’re you. Trust me on that one.” He hugs himself, rubbing his arms to keep warm.
“You’re not wearing a coat. Are you insane?” I grab his arm. “Let’s get inside.”
We step into the barn and Damon switches on the overhead heater above the barn door. We stand there, face to face, not speaking. Buster and Sissy are still rigged into the sleigh, just inside the door.
I look down, unable to meet his gaze. “I feel like I’ve been tricked. Like all of this was arranged.”
He leans back and lets out a barking laugh. “Wow. You think I have magical powers or something? You think I was faking today? Come on. You’re forgetting what happened between us.”
I shake my head. “I got carried away. It wasn’t real.” It couldn’t have been. Could it?
He pulls off my mitten and lifts my hand, lacing his fingers through mine. The jolt runs through me again and my body blazes alive. My breath catches as the heat inside me moves from my chest and lands between my legs. Well, that’s real.
“You feel it too. I know you do.” He leans down to look into my eyes. “I had no idea who you were today. I swear. Nothing between us was planned or plotted. I would never… could never… When you walked out of this barn earlier today, I fe
lt like a piece of me had been cut away.” He lifts our clasped hands and kisses my fingers.
My knees want to give out.
His breath is warm on my hand. “I can’t explain it, but something is happening here.”
He was telling the truth. I could feel it. I reach up and put my arms around his neck, pulling him into a kiss.
Buster nickers and snorts, stomping his feet. Damon glances over at the sleigh. “I had someone cover my tour this evening so I could go to the meeting, but I promised I’d finish up and get the horses settled for the night.”
I want to trust him. I need him. “I’ll wait.”
“I have a better idea. Why don’t you come with me?”
DAMON
Just my luck that the one time I arrange for someone to cover for me, it’s tonight. I want nothing more than to spend every moment next to Amelia, but I have to get the horses down to base camp for the night and get the sleigh put in for cleaning so it will be ready for tomorrow.
I help Amelia into the sleigh and turn on the small space heater under the bench. She covers herself with one of the fleece blankets and I ease the horses back on the sleigh trail. The lifts are closed now and the summit is quiet. The last of the skiers are leaving the bar and the restaurant and catching the last of the gondolas or taking one last run down. We have the mountain to ourselves.
“Are you sad your parents are selling the ranch?” Her voice is quiet and thoughtful.
I think about it for a second, but I already know the answer. “Not really. I mean, we have a lot of memories tied up in the place, no doubt, but none of us really wants to take on all that. Will’s career is in the Army and Nina’s got a whole big life in Arizona with her husband and their kids, and I am still in school. Besides, it’s not like they’re selling it to some hotel chain. It’s you. We like the idea of the ranch becoming part of the Blaze family. My parents know you’d never ruin it.”
